NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday that it has awarded additional funds to Newport News and Norfolk for redevelopment projects.

According to a press release, the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants assist with the redevelopment of severely distressed HUD-assisted properties.

The Newport News’ Marshall Ridley Choice Neighborhoods Initiative received $5 million in additional funding. redevelopment effort, known as the Lift and Rise on Jefferson, is a large-scale revitalization initiative. The implementation grant will focus on replacing the 259-unit public housing development with 487 units of mixed-income housing in the southeast and downtown areas of the city.

The City of Norfolk will receive $10 million for its St. Paul’s Area neighborhood. The funds will go towards replacing 681-unit Tidewater Gardens public housing with 714 units of mixed-income housing, at least 70 offsite units, and 288 new housing choice vouchers that will be issued in eight on-site apartment developments.

This additional funding comes after the cities received a combined $60 million in redevelopment grants in 2019.

Since its inception, the Choice Neighborhood program has seen 11,000 new mixed-income units built across 44 cities.